SXSW Guide 2010

By Eric Pulsifer Friday, 19 February 2010

What is South by Southwest?

AUSTIN — South by Southwest Music and Media Conference is an annual music, film and interactive festival featuring concerts, parties, panels, film screenings and other events. 2010 marks the 24th year for the festival. The entire conference runs March 12–21, with each separate portion (Music, Film and Interactive) running over a different portion of the ten days.

SXSW is the largest annual conference held in Austin and has a major economic impact on music venues, bars, restaurants and hotels. In 2009, the festival injected approximately $99 million into the Austin economy.

Film — March 12–20

Now in its 17th year, SXSW Film features nine days of screenings, speakers and industry workshops.

Films screened run the gamut from serious to silly—”The Hurt Locker” and “I Love You, Man” premiered at SXSW Film 2009—and this year is no exception. SXSW 2010 films include “Saturday Night Live” spin-off “MacGruber,” action comedy “Kick-Ass” and “Mr. Nice,” a film based off the life of a British drug smuggler. Speakers include Quentin Tarantino, Michel Gondry and Danny McBride.

Interactive — March 12–16

SXSW Interactive features five days of panels and presentations from leaders in emerging technology ranging from social media to iPhone apps.

Interactive also includes Screenburn Arcade, a free-to-the-public, three-day event featuring the latest in video games. Now in its fourth year, ScreenBurn runs March 12–14 and is held on the first floor of the Austin Convention Center.

Music — March 17–21

With more original music nightclubs in a concentrated area than any other city in the world, Austin is an ideal location for one of the world’s biggest music events. That event is SXSW Music.

SXSW Music started in 1987 and is the original and most popular of the three portions of SXSW. This year’s festival will feature nearly 2,000 acts—around 500 of which are from outside the U.S.

While SXSW is a music festival, it differs from other music events such as Austin City Limits or Lollapalooza. SXSW is an industry event with two parts: the conference and the showcases.

By day, discussions, panels and presentations about the music industry are scheduled for conference-goers. Meanwhile, others attend day parties around the city. These parties are mostly free, unofficial events that are open to the public and often feature free food and drinks, though some parties are invite-only or require an RSVP.

By night, official SXSW Music concerts—called showcases—are held across some 90 bars, clubs and venues. Rather than performing full-length shows, bands typically play 40-minute industry sets, allowing for showcases to feature several bands in a short amount of time. Showcases are often themed, either by record label, acts from the same country or of the same genre.

For music lovers younger than 18, there are a handful of all-age showcases and day parties, but most are 21 or 18 and up.

Attending SXSW Music

There are three ways to get into showcases at SXSW, each option with pros and cons. Most venues essentially have three lines: one for badges, one for wristbands and one for walk-ups. Entry to showcases is free with a badge or wristband, but no option guarantees entry into an at-capacity venue.

Resources

The official SXSW website features schedules, maps and information about every aspect of the festival. www.sxsw.com

Navigating through a list of 2,000 bands to make a schedule for SXSW can be a daunting task. To make things easier, sample tracks from a majority of the artists playing at the festival are streamed online. www.shoutcast.com/radio/sxsw

SXSW has two free official iPhone apps. my.SXSW users can view and build a schedule, map events, view news and easily exchange contact information. SXSW Play is a media discovery app that includes content from musicians, films and interactive panels that will be featured at SXSW. my.sxsw.com/tools

For those outside of Austin, the only official way to buy a wristband is www.southbywristbands.com. The website offers a limited number of wristbands bundled with hotel packages.

Possibly the best source for finding information about unofficial parties during SXSW is Showlist Austin. www.showlistaustin.com

Other resources for SXSW party and concert information are: www.do512.com, www.donewaiting.com/sxsw, www.republicofaustin.com/sxsw, www.ultra8201.com

Badges ($475–$1,225)

Badges allow the highest level of access to showcases and industry events at SXSW, but are also the most expensive. Badges are granted entry before wristbands and walk-ups at all official SXSW Music showcases.

Five different badges are available for sale at http://sxsw.com/attend. One badge is available for each separate portion of the festival ($475 for Film, $550 for Interactive, $750 for Music), and two badges are offered for combinations of events ($750 for Film and Interactive, $1,225 for Film, Interactive and Music).

Wristbands ($129–$180)

Wristbands are for those who are solely interested in the concerts at SXSW. Unlike badges, they do not include entry into industry events, conferences or panels.

Wristbands grant attendees free entry into any official SXSW Music showcase, but are trumped by those with badges, who are allowed in before wristbands.

A majority of SXSW Music wristbands are reserved for Austin-area residents. With proof of a local billing address, those seeking wristbands may purchase one for themselves and one for a guest. Each person must pick up his or her wristband personally. Wristbands are nontransferable. These procedures are designed to cut down on scalping and to ensure that local music fans are able to take part in the festival.

Wristbands start at $129 (available at wristbands.sxsw.com) and increase in price over time.

Pay at the door

The cheapest way to attend SXSW is also the riskiest.

From free concerts at Auditorium Shores to day shows on Sixth Street, dozens of free official and unofficial showcases are offered during SXSW. At many official showcases, a limited number of walk-up guests (those without badges or wristbands) are granted entry. It can be difficult to find out the cost of official SXSW Music showcases ahead of time, but popular sets can cost around $20 or $30, while smaller shows can cost little to nothing. However, space is limited and most venues will only let walk-ups in after all badges and wristbands have entered, making getting into a popular showcase nearly impossible.

If going without a wristband or badge, plan on showing up early, waiting in line and having a few backup plans if turned away. To avoid wasting time in line, ask at the door of the venue if they plan on letting in those without wristbands or badges, as venues that allow walk-ups often have a set number of people they plan on admitting.

For SXSW coverage and updates during the festival, visit www.impactnews.com/sxsw.